Sparks’ late rally falls short in one-point loss to the Sky
Nneka Ogwumike scored 18 points with 11 rebounds to move into 15th on the WNBA career scoring list, but the Sparks fell to the Chicago Sky, 76-75, at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night.
The Sparks still hold the final playoff spot, half a game ahead of the ninth-place Sky.
The Sparks raced out to a 28-21 lead with back-to-back three-pointers from Karlie Samuelson and Jordin Canada in the first quarter. Canada, who logged 16 points and nine assists in the game, had four steals in the first half, setting a franchise record for steals in one season at 74.
Six points apiece from Elizabeth Williams and Marina Mabrey tied the score 43-43 in the second quarter, with Azurá Stevens scoring five of her nine points and Jasmine Thomas adding a three-pointer.
Chicago’s Kahleah Copper had seven points in the third quarter to help build an eight-point lead. The Sparks, who trailed by 10 early in the fourth quarter and nine with 4:25 left, rallied as rookie Zia Cooke scored seven points in the quarter, Canada sank a game-tying basket with one minute left and Samuelson made a go-ahead three-pointer with 38 seconds left, but the Sky sealed the victory on Copper‘s driving layup with 22 seconds left.
After blitzing into playoff position with a six-game winning streak that ended Sunday, the Sparks (15-20) had three opportunities to win, but Canada, Samuelson and Thomas couldn’t convert shots.
The Sparks’ last victory against Chicago in June was with the help of two powerful early season starters: Lexie Brown, who will be out the remainder of the season (non-COVID illness), and Layshia Clarendon, who did not play Tuesday because of “health and safety protocols.”
While coach Curt Miller declined to call it a must-win game, the team knew what the stakes were.
“This is a playoff game for us,” Dearica Hamby said before the game. “We have the ability to control our destiny tonight by getting this win.”
